July's live recruiting period is divided into two segments: One runs from July 6-15 and the other extends from July 22-31. During this timeframe college coaches are allowed to attend camps and tournaments featuring the nation's best players and travel teams, and accordingly the grassroots landscape shifts dramatically in a matter of just a few weeks.

Now that the first period is finished and the second has begun, it's time to examine some of the central themes that have defined this year's travel circuit thus far:

Tracy McGrady left the Berto Center on Monday without a contract offer after working out for roughly an hour and then meeting with Bulls management after lunch.

This time, it wasn't McGrady's choice.

Ten summers after flirting with the Bulls before joining his home state Magic in free agency, the seven-time All-Star told reporters joining Derrick Rose and Co. represents his top choice as he tries to resuscitate a career derailed by microfracture surgery on his left knee in 2009.

Temple Basketball has seen some pretty amazing players walk through its doors. Aaron McKie, Mark Macon, and you can’t forget the best named player ever in college basketball, Pepe Sanchez. We should have great players. Basketball, after all, is what Temple does. We’ve built our reputation on the fiery (and sometimes mentally unstable) shoulders of Jon Chaney, and certainly gotten more exposure during March Madness then during bowl season.